Friday, January 17, 2025
More than 400 people gathered at The Lannin at Eisenhower Park on Friday, Dec. 6, for the Friends of Mercy Hospital’s 88th annual Mercy Ball.
This year’s gala raised more than $100,000 for the Women’s Imaging Center at Catholic Health Mercy Hospital, which is set to undergo a significant facelift aimed at enhancing its ambiance and creating a spa-like atmosphere.
Renovations will include a welcoming waiting room with carefully selected décor and examination rooms outfitted with new furnishings designed to promote a tranquil and peaceful environment for patients.
Each year, the Friends of Mercy Hospital honors three individuals for their commitment to advancing the hospital’s mission.
Keith Linsalata, the owner of Art Flower & Gift Shoppe in Rockville Centre for more than 33 years, was presented with the Bishop John R. McGann Lifetime Achievement Award this year, for his continued dedication, support, and community service.
“It was a great night,” Linsalata said. “Everyone who supports Mercy, everyone who works at the hospital and all of the local dignitaries were there. It really shows you how tight-knit of a community it truly is. It’s not just a hospital — it’s a family.”
A member of the Friends of Mercy for over a decade, Linsalata has contributed his expertise to numerous committees, including the Mercy Ball and St. Patrick’s Dinner.
Linsalata, a native of Massapequa, has been a loyal supporter of Mercy Hospital for many years. He consistently participates in and sponsors all of the Friends of Mercy events and selflessly donates flowers for children's parties and the hospital gift shop.
He also participates in “Pedal It Forward Day,” one of his most cherished projects, where he and his team distribute more than 1,200 bouquets to spread goodwill throughout the community, particularly to the many nurses and patients in Mercy’s care.
“It was a true honor to be recognized,” Linsalata said, “not just by any hospital, but by Mercy, especially.”
This year, the Friends of Mercy Hospital also honored Evelyn Morales, a physician assistant and the director of mid-level practitioner services at Mercy Hospital, who was presented with the Theodore Roosevelt Award for Outstanding Achievement, and registered nurse Claire De Setto, who was presented with the Sister Mary Nadine Casey CIJ Award for honoring the values of the hospital and its founders.
Morales has made significant contributions to critical care and medical leadership. A graduate of Fordham University and Touro College, Morales has earned advanced degrees in health care administration and medical science.
She went on to spend 13 years with an outpatient practice that specialized in family medicine, primary care, physiatry and neurology before joining Mercy in 2008. Morale began working in the intermediate care units, where she quickly rose through the ranks to become a medical-legal partnership coordinator, before transitioning into critical care medicine.
Through her many leadership roles, she remained dedicated to her clinical practice and procedural expertise in critical care, balancing her expertise with her family life as a mother of two and a grandmother of six.
Claire De Setto, a nurse at Mercy for more than 50 years, received the Sister Mary Nadine Casey Award this year. De Setto began her career in the intensive care unit in 1971 and has since held leadership roles, including director of perioperative services and interim director of the emergency department.
During the pandemic, De Setto guided her team through unprecedented challenges and founded Mercy’s American Heart Association Training Center, where she trained staff in life support techniques.
Catholic Health Mercy Hospital was founded in 1913 by the Nursing Sisters of the Congregation of the Infant Jesus, and has remained devoted to the charitable care of the underserved throughout the surrounding communities.
Over the last 88 years, the Friends of Mercy organization has proudly supported their mission to deliver passionate medical care by providing funds for upgrades to the NICU, Pain Management Center, Pre-Surgical Testing facility and more.
“Following the Mercy Ball, I am thrilled to share that it was truly a wonderful and beautiful evening, enjoyed by many that kicked off the holiday season,” said Mercy Ball co-chair Gloria DiSciullo. “It was an incredible opportunity to bring together the Rockville Centre and Mercy Hospital communities in celebration of three deserving individuals. Most importantly, we are proud to announce that the event was a success, raising crucial funds for the Women’s Imaging Center at Mercy Hospital. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this possible.”
